Association of Antioxidative Enzymes Polymorphisms with Efficacy of Platin and Fluorouracil-Based Adjuvant Therapy in Gastric Cancer

Background/Aims: Imbalance of oxidative/antioxidative enzymes in cells is associated with carcinogenesis and cancer cell chemoresistance. The aim of this study was to examine the clinical significance of potentially functional single nucleotides polymorphisms (SNPs) in antioxidative enzymes, GPxs and CAT, in stages II and III gastric cancer patients. Methods: A total of 591 gastric cancer patients who had radical gastrectomy were recruited. 207 patients received platinum and fluorouracil-based (PF-based) adjuvant chemotherapy and 384 patients were untreated. GPx1 rs1050450, GPx2 rs4902346, GPx3 rs736775, rs3828599 and CAT rs769218 were genotyped in the DNA samples extracted from paraffin-embedded tumor tissue. Results: CAT rs769218 was significantly correlated with the overall survival (OS) in the dominant model (P = 0.014). Multivariate analysis revealed that CAT rs769218 GA/AA (HR, 0.715; 95%CI, 0.562-0.910, P = 0.006) was an independent prognostic marker indicating improved survival. After adjustments, GPx3 rs736775 TC/CC was significantly associated with improved OS (HR, 0.621; 95%CI, 0.399-0.965; P=0.034) in patients treated with PF-based adjuvant chemotherapy, and CAT rs769218 GA/AA was significantly associated with improved OS (HR, 0.646; 95% CI, 0.482-0.864; P = 0.003) in the untreated patients. PF-based chemotherapy significantly decreased risk of death for patients carrying GPx3 rs736775 TC/CC and age ≤ 60 years or with diffused type adenocarcinoma compared to surgery alone. Conclusion: our findings suggested CAT rs769218 and GPx3 rs736775 may be considered as prognostic markers in gastric cancer. Patient stratification by GPx3 rs736775 and conventional pathological parameters may provide additional predictive information in treatment decision-making

Template-free synthesis of In2O3 nanoparticles and their acetone sensing properties

Ordered In2O3 nanoparticles (In2O3 NPs) were successfully prepared via a template-free method. The synthesis was conducted in a water-glycerol-ethylene glycol mixed solvent without any templates, and the ultra-fine nanostructured In2O3 has a uniform size of about 20-30 nm. The In2O3 nanoparticles exhibited improved sensitivity, fast response, and high selectivity to acetone. The enhanced acetone performance results from a large surface area with enough sensing active sites, and small particle size for effective electron depletion. (C) 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved

Immobilization of heavy metals in electroplating sludge by biochar and iron sulfide

Electroplating sludge (ES) containing large quantities of heavy metals is regarded as a hazardous waste in China. This paper introduced a simple method of treating ES using environmentally friendly fixatives biochar (BC) and iron sulfide (FeS), respectively. After 3\ua0days of treatment with FeS at a FeS-to-ES mass ratio of 1:5, the toxicity characteristic leaching procedure (TCLP)-based leachability of total Cr (TCr), Cu(II), Ni(II), Pb(II), and Zn(II) was decreased by 59.6, 100, 63.8, 73.5, and 90.5\ua0%, respectively. After 5\ua0days of treatment with BC at a BC-to-ES mass ratio of 1:2, the TCLP-based leachability was declined by 35.1, 30.6, 22.3, 23.1, and 22.4\ua0%, respectively. Pseudo first-order kinetic model adequately simulated the sorption kinetic data. Structure and morphology analysis showed that adsorption, electrostatic attraction, surface complexation, and chemical precipitation were dominant mechanisms for heavy metals immobilization by BC, and that chemical precipitation (formation of metal sulfide and hydroxide precipitates), iron exchange (formation of CuFeS2), and surface complexation were mainly responsible for heavy metals removal by FeS. Economic costs of BC and FeS were 500 and 768 CNY/t, lower than that of Na2S (940 CNY/t). The results suggest that BC and FeS are effective, economic, and environmentally friendly fixatives for immobilization of heavy metals in ES before landfill disposal

Preparation of a novel graphene oxide/Fe-Mn composite and its application for aqueous Hg(II) removal

A novel graphene oxide/Fe-Mn (GO/Fe-Mn) composite was synthesized (molar ratio of Fe/Mn = 3/1 and mass ratio of Fe/GO = 1/7.5) and investigated for the sorption characteristics and mechanisms of aqueous mercury (Hg) as well as the biological effects to wheat and rice. Characterization tests showed that Fe-Mn oxides were impregnated onto GO sheets in an amorphous form through oxygen-containing functional groups (i.e., CO, epoxy COC, carboxyl OCO, and CO) and π-π interactions. GO/Fe-Mn possessed large surface area, surface enhanced Raman scattering with more sp defects, and greater thermal stability than GO. XPS analysis revealed that FeO, FeOOH, MnO, MnOOH, and MnO were the dominant metal oxides in GO/Fe-Mn. Pseudo-second-order kinetic model and Sips isotherm model fitted well with the sorption kinetic and isotherm data. The maximum sorption capacity for mercury was 32.9 mg/g. Ligand exchange and surface complexation were the dominant mechanisms for mercury removal. GO/Fe-Mn greatly reduced the bioavailability of mercury to wheat and rice, even promoted the seedling growth. This work suggests that GO/Fe-Mn can be used as an effective and environmental-friendly adsorbent in heavy metal remediation

Deep Sequencing and Bioinformatic Analysis of Lesioned Sciatic Nerves after Crush Injury.

The peripheral nerve system has an intrinsic regenerative capacity in response to traumatic injury. To better understand the molecular events occurring after peripheral nerve injury, in the current study, a rat model of sciatic nerve crush injury was used. Injured nerves harvested at 0, 1, 4, 7, and 14 days post injury were subjected to deep RNA sequencing for examining global gene expression changes. According to the temporally differential expression patterns of a huge number of genes, 3 distinct phases were defined within the post-injury period of 14 days: the acute, sub-acute, and post-acute stages. Each stage showed its own characteristics of gene expression, which were associated with different categories of diseases and biological functions and canonical pathways. Ingenuity pathway analysis revealed that genes involved in inflammation and immune response were significantly up-regulated in the acute phase, and genes involved in cellular movement, development, and morphology were up-regulated in the sub-acute stage, while the up-regulated genes in the post-acute phase were mainly involved in lipid metabolism, cytoskeleton reorganization, and nerve regeneration. All the data obtained in the current study may help to elucidate the molecular mechanisms underlying peripheral nerve regeneration from the perspective of gene regulation, and to identify potential therapeutic targets for the treatment of peripheral nerve injury

Enantioselective Toxicity of Tetramethrin to Different Developmental Stages of Zebrafish (<i>Danio rerio</i>)

Chiral pesticides exhibit enantioselective differences in processes such as biological absorption, metabolism, and toxic effects. Organisms have different physiological characteristics at different developmental stages. Therefore, conducting enantiomeric toxicity studies at different developmental stages of organisms can help deepen the understanding of the ecological effects of chiral pesticides. This study focused on trans-tetramethrin (Tet) and investigated the enantioselectivity in bioconcentration, developmental toxicity, estrogenic effects, and immunotoxicity of Tet’s racemate ((±)-Tet) and its two enantiomers ((+)-Tet and (−)-Tet) in three developmental stages of zebrafish: embryos, yolk sac larvae, and juveniles. The results showed that Tet exhibited different enantioselectivity in lethal, bioconcentration, and teratogenic effects on zebrafish at different developmental stages. The LC50 value was (+)-Tet > (±)-Tet > (−)-Tet, with embryos being the most sensitive, followed by juveniles and yolk sac larvae. The enantioselective bioconcentration was (±)-Tet > (+)-Tet > (−)-Tet, and the bioconcentration effect was greater in embryos than that in yolk sac larvae and juveniles. Developmental toxicity indicated that (+)-Tet and (±)-Tet had higher teratogenic effects on yolk sac larvae than on embryos. Tet exhibited different enantioselective effects on the expression of zebrafish estrogen-related genes and innate immune-related genes at different developmental stages. These results will contribute to a more comprehensive assessment of the aquatic toxicity and environmental risks of chiral pesticides

Maternal exposure to dietary uranium causes oxidative stress and thyroid disruption in zebrafish offspring

The contamination of uranium in aquatic ecosystems has raised growing global concern. However, the understanding of its chronic effects on aquatic organisms is limited, particularly with regards to transgenerational toxicity. In this study, we evaluated the maternal transfer risk of uranium using zebrafish. Sexually mature female zebrafish were exposed to 2 and 20 ng/g of uranium-spiked food for 28 days. The induced bioconcentration, thyroid disruption, and oxidative stress in both the adults (F0) and their embryos (F1) were further investigated. Element analysis showed that uranium was present in both F0 and F1, with higher concentrations observed in F1, indicating significant maternal offloading to the offspring. Meanwhile, an increased malformation and decreased swim speed were observed in the F1. Thyroid hormone analysis revealed significant decreases in the levels of triiodothyronine (T3) in both the F0 adults and F1 embryos, but thyroxine (T4) was not significantly affected. Additionally, the activities of antioxidant defenses, including catalase (CAT) and superoxide dismutase (SOD), and the expression of glutathione (GSH) and malondialdehyde (MDA) were significantly altered in the F0 and F1 larvae at 120 hpf. The hypothalamic-pituitary-thyroid (HPT) axis, oxidative stress, and apoptosis-related gene transcription expression were also significantly affected in both generations. Taken together, these findings highlight the importance of considering maternal transfer in uranium risk assessments

Effects of phosphorus and potassium bacterial Fertilizer on Rhizosphere soil nutrients and Fruit quality of Huangguo Citrus

In this experiment, 8-year-old yellow fruit citrus trees were used as materials, and the soil nutrients were determined with the combination of Bacillus megaterium, glial bacillus, organic-inorganic compound fertilizer and organic fertilizer, and the conventional application of organic fertilizer as the control. The results showed that the soil nutrients of the treatments of Bacillus megaterium, Bacillus glia and organic fertilizer were significantly higher than those of the control. The treatment of applying Bacillus megaterium and Bacillus glia alone reached a significant level in many soil nutrient indexes. It is suggested that the combination of Bacillus megaterium, Bacillus glia and organic fertilizer should be applied in production

High Dielectric and Mechanical Properties Achieved in Cross-Linked PVDF/α-SiC Nanocomposites with Elevated Compatibility and Induced Polarization at the Interface

Remarkably improved dielectric properties including high-k, low loss, and high breakdown strength combined with promising mechanical performance such as high flexibility, good heat, and chemical resistivity are hard to be achieved in high-k dielectric composites based on the current composite fabrication strategy. In this work, a family of high-k polymer nanocomposites has been fabricated from a facile suspension cast process followed by chemical cross-linking at elevated temperature. Internal double bonds bearing poly­(vinylidene fluoride-chlorotrifluoroethylene) (P­(VDF-CTFE-DB)) in total amorphous phase are employed as cross-linkable polymer matrix. α-SiC particles with a diameter of 500 nm are surface modified with 3-aminpropyltriethoxysilane (KH-550) as fillers for their comparable dielectric performance with PVDF polymer matrix, low conductivity, and high breakdown strength. The interface between SiC particles and PVDF matrix has been finely tailored, which leads to the significantly elevated dielectric constant from 10 to over 120 in SiC particles due to the strong induced polarization. As a result, a remarkably improved dielectric constant (ca. 70) has been observed in c-PVDF/m-SiC composites bearing 36 vol % SiC, which could be perfectly predicted by the effective medium approximation (EMA) model. The optimized interface and enhanced compatibility between two components are also responsible for the depressed conductivity and dielectric loss in the resultant composites. Chemical cross-linking constructed in the composites results in promising mechanical flexibility, good heat and chemical stability, and elevated tensile performance of the composites. Therefore, excellent dielectric and mechanical properties are finely balanced in the PVDF/α-SiC composites. This work might provide a facile and effective strategy to fabricate high-k dielectric composites with promising comprehensive performance